How Much Time is Allotted for the PMP Certification Exam

The PMP exam duration is 230 minutes.

You will have to follow a tutorial to familiarize yourself with the exam environment before it starts. This session will explain what the question screen will look like, how to select the answer and submit it, how to use the calculator on the computer, how to review answers and other exam mechanics.

The time allotted for this familiarization session is fifteen minutes.

The duration of this tutorial session is not included in the exam time limit. You can start the exam immediately if you complete this session in less than fifteen minutes, and your exam clock will start counting down.

When taking my exam, I completed the awareness session in less than five minutes. I used the remaining time to note down some formulas and concepts on the paper provided by the Prometric staff (now the exams are conducted at Pearson VUE centers).

However, you are no longer allowed to write notes during this familiarization session, since October 23, 2016. You can write them down once you end the familiarization session and start the exam.

I relaxed for one minute, ended the session, and started my exam.

I completed my exam within two and a half hours. After that, I took a break and started revising the questions patiently. It took me more than one hour to revise all of them.

If you complete the exam earlier, invest the remaining time revising the questions. You will never get another chance to do so. Sometimes, you may know the right answer but accidentally click on the wrong one, so try to find these errors.

This happened to me; it may happen to you as well.

You will be taken to a short survey once you complete the exam and submit your answers. After completing this survey, the screen will turn white for a few moments, and then you will be able to see your result.

Summary

The allotted PMP exam time is 230 minutes, which is sufficient to complete all 180 questions. A fifteen-minute awareness session precedes the exam; use this time to calm yourself, understand the interface, and prepare for the exam. Also, if you complete the exam early, use the remaining time to check your answers.

Have you attempted the exam? How long did it take to complete the test, and how did you utilize the remaining time? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Fahad Usmani, PMP

I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.